Declining Sunday School
The modern Sunday School movement began with Robert Raikes (1735–1811), a British newspaper publisher. One day, as he passed through a slum, he resolved to help bring justice and reform to society. He began by offering food and moral education to prisoners in an effort to rehabilitate them. Realizing the importance of preventing crime before it started, he soon turned his attention to children roaming the streets and launched the first Sunday School in 1780.
He provided clothing and shoes and taught kids basic hygiene like washing their faces and combing their hair. He also taught them not to fight, to be punctual, and to obey adults. After teaching for three years and witnessing genuine change in them , he published the results of the Sunday School movement in his newspaper in 1783. Other media picked up the story, and it created a nationwide stir. As a result, the number of Sunday School students in the UK grew from 250,000 in 1785 to 300,000 in 1801, 730,000 in 1821, 1.25 million in 1831, and 2 million by 1851. But today, the situation in the country has changed dramatically. According to data from 2018, less than 1% of children between the ages of 4 and 14 who attend evangelical churches regularly go to Sunday School. This is a stark contrast to 65 years ago when 58% of British children attended Sunday School at least once a month.
Sunday School in Korea began in 1888, led by Mary Scranton. It started with 12 children, 3 women, and 4 missionaries in a small room at Ewha Haktang. In 1905, Sunday School became formally organized and operated when a dedicated committee was established within the Missionary Union Council.
However, today the Korean church’s ministry to the next generation is in serious crisis. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of students in Sunday School had been sharply declining, and more churches were closing down their programs altogether.
Citing annual denominational statistics, the 2020 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap) warned that up to 90% of Sunday Schools could disappear by 2030. According to their 2019 data, the number of elementary-aged students dropped from 64,232 in 2010 to 43,461 in 2019—a decrease of over 15,000. The Hapdong denomination, which includes around 12,000 churches, conducted an online survey in 2020 with 1,257 senior pastors and Sunday School leaders. The results revealed that 22.4% of responding churches no longer had any Sunday School departments. Since the survey relied on voluntary responses rather than a full census, the actual crisis may be even more severe. In the face of this decline, pastors and teachers must return to the core of their calling. What remains unchanged across generations is the gospel—the power of God. Every era has faced challenges, and Satan has always sought to devour the next generation like a roaring lion.
Meanwhile, in China, the Family Church Alliance leaders became increasingly concerned about the government’s crackdown on children’s ministries, whether in registered or unregistered churches. In response, they conceived the idea of a “Sunday School in a Box” in 2018. The first phase of the project involved preparing and distributing 5,000 boxes, which was completed in 2020. Since then, parents and ministry workers who received the boxes have continued to send letters of gratitude. These letters reveal that the boxes were used far beyond their original intent and proved to be deeply impactful.
》Prayer Points
1. Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and the church is called to overcome the world through faith, armed with the Word and prayer. Let us pray that the youth will be raised in the Word and in prayer, rising as a holy church that conquers the world.
2. Let us pray for churches around the world that are seeing a decline in Sunday Schools. May they be awakened and recover the Father’s heart—a heart that never gives up until every lost soul is found. Let us also pray for the restoration of the gospel’s essence within the church, so that the youth may receive life and be raised up as soldiers of Christ.
》Scripture Prayer
(Proverbs 23:11–20,NIV) 11 For their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you. 12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. 13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die. 14 Punish them with the rod and save them from death. 15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed; 16 my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right. 17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. 18 There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. 19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path: 20 Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. When did the global church begin to lose sight of its Sunday School children? When did we stop seeing it as the church’s fruit to bring children in and raise them with the gospel that gives them life? It likely began when churches started compromising with sin and shifting focus from spiritual to superficial growth, pursuing numbers, expansion, and worldly influence instead of the revival of the kingdom of God and the completion of the mission through the gospel and prayer. Let us repent of our failure to shepherd the youth. Let us turn back from neglecting correction and ignoring the Word of Life.
2. The Redeemer of the Church is mighty. The Lord will contend with every area of the church that has been broken or stolen, and He will bring justice. As a first step of obedience in rebuilding the church’s faith, let us pray for the church to call the youth back, teach them the Scriptures, and bear the fruit of rescuing their souls from destruction. As they worship God in Spirit and in truth, growing in wisdom and integrity, may the whole church be filled with joy and gladness. Let us declare that the only future and hope for the next generation is in the Lord—in gaining wisdom and walking the path of righteousness to His glory.
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